End customers typically reach out to a customer support desk center to (a) address issues that they are facing with their products; (b) seek information on products that they have purchased; or (c) to purchase a service or product. Customers reach out to support desk centers through different support channels such as phone, e-mail or chat through a network. It is also likely that during the process of a customer interaction, a customer service representative or associate may be able to convince a customer to upsell a product or service. In those customer-associate interactions, where there is a need for the customer to purchase something, the resulting transactions are typically handled through credit card payments. Traditionally the customer would provide the credit card information to the associate verbally, who would then go ahead and complete the order on behalf of the customer. This introduces serious risk because of the exposure of sensitive credit card information to the associate. It is also likely that this information is captured as part of the voice quality recording during such transactions.
For example, if in need of assistance, a customer may reach a customer support desk center through online chat. Upon initiation of an online chat session, the customer support desk center may assign a chat associate to engage with the customer. During the chat dialogue, the associate discusses with customer the underlying issues and, ideally comes to an understanding of the issue or problem causing the need for the customer service chat. As the associate is becoming aware to the problem that the customer is facing or what the customer may require to alleviate the issue, the associate may find the need to sell a product or service plan to customer. Ideally, the product or service can be purchased through an online sale through billing the customer's credit card for the required product or service. Generally, to complete a sale, the associate will complete the order details of the product to be purchased and collects the credit card information from the customer through the established chat channel, wherein the customer provides the associate with the credit card information. The credit card information is then inputted by the associate and verified thereby completing the sales process and placing the order through customer support desk center's (or other third party's) order processing system.
While the above scenario has served customer support services in the past, there are, however, a number of shortcomings to this approach. First, communicating credit card information through chat is insecure and may be susceptible to malicious activity of identity thieves or other internet hackers. Secondly, the transaction processing is not automatic and it is time consuming for an associate as all credit card related information is exchanged serially over the chat channel (an individual chat stream is limited in the number of characters which may be typed into the chat window). In a more nefarious situation, an unscrupulous associate may intentionally misuse a customer's credit card details for personal gain. Alternatively, a customer's credit card information may get recorded through screen recording/capture where it can then be viewed by people other than associate.
As such, there is a need for a system and method that provides for secure online credit card transactions through a chat channel wherein a customer's credit card information is securely transmitted to an order processing system without the need for providing such credit card information to the customer support desk center's associate. Further, there is also a need for a method and system for protecting any other sensitive information communicated over a chat session, such as, but not limited to, a customer's social security number or bank account numbers. The present invention addresses these and other needs.